Since I guess we all know and don't know different kinds of things, and you all probably know more than I do, I thought it would be good to have a thread for just questions and answers regarding Bob's literary sources and works he mentions.... and anyway I just have a question.

What is the title of the book Bob is referring to here?

Bob in Chronicles wrote:

Endless rows of books -- Sophocles' book on the nature and function of the gods -- why there were only two sexes.

Sophocles was a play writer and only seven of his plays have survived the ages

The three Theban plays (The beautiful ‘Antigone’, ‘Oedipus the King’ and ‘Oedipus at Colonus’)and four others: ‘Ajax’, ‘The Women of Trachis’, ‘Electra’, and ‘Philoctetes’.

I’ve read them once upon a time, but to the best of my recollection, none of them dealt with “the nature and function of the gods -- why there were only two sexes.”.So unless some major themes went by me completely unnoticed (certainly a possibility), Bob was either confused or talking out of his a**.

(Then again, Bob might have done an amazing discovery in some ancient Greek bookstore.Sophocles supposedly wrote over a hundred 100 plays )

Endless rows of books -- Sophocles' book on the nature and function of the gods -- why there were only two sexes.

Richard Thomas suggests that the book does not exist:Other classical works encountered in the “library” of Ray Gooch include The Twelve Caesars (presumably the work of Suetonius), “Tacitus’ lectures and letters to Brutus,” “Pericles’ Ideal State of Democracy,” Ovid’s Metamorphoses, “the scary horror tale,” and “Sophocles’ book on the nature and function of the gods.” It is curious that three of these are non-existent books, but in subtle ways: Tacitus wrote a dialogue about orators (including the long-dead Brutus, to whom Cicero wrote actual, surviving letters); Pericles, who was an Athenian general, wrote nothing that survives but looms large in Thucydides, whose work includes the general’s famous funeral oration, which does treat the ideal state of Athenian democracy; Sophocles only wrote tragedies, but they are often about the nature and function of the gods.

Richard Thomas suggests that the book does not exist:Other classical works encountered in the “library” of Ray Gooch include The Twelve Caesars (presumably the work of Suetonius), “Tacitus’ lectures and letters to Brutus,” “Pericles’ Ideal State of Democracy,” Ovid’s Metamorphoses, “the scary horror tale,” and “Sophocles’ book on the nature and function of the gods.” It is curious that three of these are non-existent books, but in subtle ways: Tacitus wrote a dialogue about orators (including the long-dead Brutus, to whom Cicero wrote actual, surviving letters); Pericles, who was an Athenian general, wrote nothing that survives but looms large in Thucydides, whose work includes the general’s famous funeral oration, which does treat the ideal state of Athenian democracy; Sophocles only wrote tragedies, but they are often about the nature and function of the gods.

Unfortunately, that last statement about Sophocles is complete nonsense and any scholar of ancient Greek literature would rip Mr Thomas to pieces for it.

The human character is the main focus of all of Sophocles surviving plays.It’s basically what he’s known for, so even I know this

People here will probably be familiar with Antigone and Oedipus, but the other four that have survived are no different in theme. Here are four short synopsis taken from Wiki:

Ajax focuses on the proud hero of the Trojan War, Telamonian Ajax, who is driven to treachery and eventually suicide. Ajax becomes gravely upset when Achilles’ armor is presented to Odysseus instead of himself. Despite their enmity toward him, Odysseus persuades the kings Menelaus and Agamemnon to grant Ajax a proper burial.

The Women of Trachis (named for the Trachinian women who make up the chorus) dramatizes Deianeira's accidentally killing Heracles after he had completed his famous twelve labors. Tricked into thinking it is a love charm, Deianeira applies poison to an article of Heracles' clothing; this poisoned robe causes Heracles to die an excruciating death. Upon learning the truth, Deianeira commits suicide.

Electra corresponds roughly to the plot of Aeschylus' Libation Bearers. It details how Electra and Orestes' avenge their father Agamemnon's murder by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.

Philoctetes retells the story of Philoctetes, an archer who had been abandoned on Lemnos by the rest of the Greek fleet while on the way to Troy. After learning that they cannot win the Trojan War without Philoctetes' bow, the Greeks send Odysseus and Neoptolemus to retrieve him; due to the Greeks' earlier treachery, however, Philoctetes refuses to rejoin the army. It is only Heracles' deus ex machina appearance that persuades Philoctetes to go to Troy.

Are there painter's easels that you can automatically move the canvas up and down to reach all areas if it's very large? Because these paintings are huge and Bob isn't that tall really. I'm trying to imagine how he works on them.

Joined: Wed April 27th, 2011, 03:44 GMTPosts: 7568Location: the home for teenage dirt

Johanna Parker wrote:

Are there painter's easels that you can automatically move the canvas up and down to reach all areas if it's very large? Because these paintings are huge and Bob isn't that tall really. I'm trying to imagine how he works on them.

Yes, but more than likely his studio assistants have built a 'pulley system,' which is commonly used to easily access every area of very large canvases.

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